A Familiar Dance
by PrinRue
Summary: Sometimes an early morning and an old hobby are all you need to have fun with your best friend. Hiccup and Toothless bonding. Pure fluff!


**Hello, friends! Since the last month or so has consisted of me torturing characters, I figured it was time to write some much needed fluff! And who better to write it about than our favorite human/dragon duo?**

**This takes place during RTTE, sometime in season 3 or 4, and features boy and dragon reliving a very fond memory. **

**Enjoy the cuteness!**

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Hiccup turned over again, readjusting his blanket. He hated waking up in the middle of the night, because for as long as he could remember, waking up meant not falling back asleep. Even when he was really little, he could never fall asleep again if he woke up. He didn't know how long it had been this morning, but it felt like hours of tossing and turning.

Finally, the boy accepted defeat, sighing and throwing the covers off. He swung over to the side of the bed, quickly reattaching his leg and pulling on his shoe, before climbing down the ladder to the main level of his hut. He glanced over at the stone where Toothless slept, slightly envious to see the dragon still curled up and snoring. With a huff, he pulled open the door and stepped outside.

It was definitely early morning, as the sky wasn't black with night, but it wasn't orange with sunrise either. It was that weird stage when the dawn was beginning but hadn't fully set in, so the sky was an odd purple color and just bright enough to see clearly. Hiccup looked around. The rest of Dragon's Edge was still dark, with no light coming from any of the riders' huts or outbuildings.

_At least everyone else gets to sleep._ Hiccup thought dryly. He sighed, plopping down on a grassy area near the cliff. Maybe he'd be in a better mood if he could do something productive since he was awake, but the Edge had been surprisingly calm for a while. With Dagur as an ally and the Grimborn brothers seemingly taking a break from attacking them, there was little to do.

Hiccup picked up a stick laying nearby, turning it over in his fingers absentmindedly.

Huh. Maybe that was something.

Ever since he and the other teens had taken up living on and defending the Edge, he hadn't really had much time to draw. Drawing used to be his favorite thing. Hiccup looked at the stick; it was short enough to be easy to control but strong enough not to break right away. Smiling slightly, the teen began sliding the tip of the stick in the dirt. He wasn't sure what he was drawing, but he couldn't deny it felt nice to do it again. Line after line, the image took shape. What it turned out to be, he probably should've guessed, considering Toothless was nearly permanently on his mind. But it had been a while since he'd made an actual picture of him.

Hiccup looked at the drawing for a moment longer, not feeling quite satisfied with it, before erasing it with his boot and starting over. Drawing a full body picture with the thick lines from the stick didn't look right; it'd be easier to just do a profile.

Hiccup got so lost in his drawing, he didn't even hear the sound of four heavy feet trotting up behind him. It wasn't until Toothless had poked his head into the human's peripheral vision that he noticed.

_"What're you doing up so early?"_ Toothless asked.

Despite not hearing the actual question, Hiccup could guess what his dragon was saying. "Couldn't sleep." He answered.

Toothless crooned apologetically. Then he turned his attention to what his human was doing. He was drawing! Toothless smiled at the sight, happy to see his friend doing something he loved again. Not that he didn't love manning the Edge… but it had been a while since the dragon had seen him doing a _hobby._

The Night Fury leaned in to see the picture; it was of him. Like most of the human's drawings. Still, Toothless took a moment to appreciate the artwork. Then, he noticed something familiar about it. The angle of his head, the tilt of his eyes.

It looked almost exactly like the drawing Hiccup had made in the Cove three years ago. Toothless beamed at the picture, unsure if his human had even realized what he'd done.

Oh, Toothless would make him realize it. Because he remembered what happened after Hiccup drew it all those years ago. The dragon bounded off, toward the trees at the back of their settlement.

"Toothless! Where are you-" Hiccup started to call after him, only to stop at the sight. Toothless found a suitable branch, and with one big heave, pulled it off the tree. With his drawing utensil clenched in his jaw, he ran back to where Hiccup was sitting.

_"Remember this?" _Toothless warbled excitedly, grinning as best he could with the object in his mouth. Before his human could answer, the dragon began dragging it wildly through the dirt, twisting and turning around. It was just as fun as the first time, watching the dark indent form in the ground, and seeing the confused expression on Hiccup's face. Only this time, the confused expression also had a hint of fond remembrance.

Once Toothless had finished his work, he tossed the branch aside, and looked expectantly at his friend. _"Come on! Do the thing!" _

Hiccup laughed. "I can see your drawing skills haven't changed."

That wasn't what he wanted. Toothless nudged Hiccup's arm, motioning to his masterpiece, then stepping on it a couple times to make sure he understood. _"Do the dancing thing!" _

Finally Hiccup figured it out, and starting laughing harder. "Toothless, you can't be serious."

Toothless closed his eyes halfway, glaring up at his friend. _"You know perfectly well I'm serious. Now do it, human!" _

Still laughing, Hiccup stood up, taking a second to study the nonsensical lines his dragon had drawn. Then carefully, he began stepping between them, arms out for balance, just like before. "You know, Toothless, the first time I did this, I was just testing your intelligence. It was quite entertaining, teasing you by stepping on the line." Hiccup commented as he continued weaving through.

_"Wow, I'm hurt," _Toothless said in his human's sarcastic tone. _"Now shut up. You didn't talk the first time." _

With Hiccup still focused on not stepping on the lines, Toothless made his way behind him. And just like before, he breathed out his nose, ruffling the boy's hair and making him stop. He was taller this time, but so was Toothless.

Thinking back on that day together in the Cove, before they had even earned each other's complete trust, before they became inseparable, before they were family, Hiccup couldn't help but smile at the memory. So, just like he did three years ago, he turned his head and slowly held out his hand toward the Night Fury.

Only this time, instead of touch on the snout from an unknown beast, he got a tight embrace and sloppy lick from his best friend.

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**That opening scene unfortunately comes from personal experience XD. Waking up a lot for literally your entire life is not fun. **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the wholesomeness! Hiccup and Toothless are some of the best BFFs to exist in media :3**


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